General officer
Military rank
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Key Takeaways
- A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
- General officer ranks The adjective general had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction.
- Lower-ranking officers in are typically known as field officers or field-grade officers, and below them are company-grade officers.
- In addition, there is a third system, the Arab system of ranks, which is used throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
- The other is derived from the French Revolution, where generals' ranks are named according to the unit they (theoretically) command.
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel.
General officer ranks
The adjective general had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction.
The various grades of general officer are at the top of the military rank structure. Lower-ranking officers in are typically known as field officers or field-grade officers, and below them are company-grade officers.
Common systems
There are two common systems of general ranks used worldwide. In addition, there is a third system, the Arab system of ranks, which is used throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
In the old European system, general officer ranks are named by prefixing "general", as an adjective, with field officer ranks, although in some countries the highest general officers are titled field marshal or marshal.
The other is derived from the French Revolution, where generals' ranks are named according to the unit they (theoretically) command.
Old European system
The system use either a brigadier general or a colonel general rank (i.e. exclude one of the italicised ranks.
French Revolutionary system
Arab system
Other variations
Other nomenclatures for general officers include the titles and ranks:
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